Practice starts with skill points.

Chapter 83 Learning Alchemy

"Shi Tou, you will continue your studies here from now on, remember?"

There is a special school in Baicaotang, which is dedicated to training younger apprentices in reading and writing. They are then assigned according to their performance, such as studying medicine, refining alchemy, or joining the guard team.

In fact, given Zhong Lin's current status, it would not be a bad idea to hire a teacher to teach Xiao Shitou alone, but Zhong Lin would rather let Xiao Shitou experience this kind of group mode, as children still need more playmates.

Moreover, this school in front of us is specifically for the descendants of the management staff of Baicaotang. In addition to teaching reading and calligraphy, it also teaches some herbal medicine and pathology knowledge.

Little Stone's face turned bitter, and he said, "Second brother, can we not go to school?"

"No."

Zhong Lin refused righteously. It was possible that he could satisfy other demands, but not going to school was absolutely unacceptable.

"Oh!"

Little Shitou pouted and looked unhappy, but he still didn't dare to resist the authority of his second brother.

"Liu Zhao, send Shitou to school. Also, I don't want to see Shitou being bullied in school."

Zhong Lin said to the guard beside him.

These guards were specially assigned to him by the master, responsible for protecting his safety. There are six of them, Liu Zhao being one of them. All of them are middle-level third-grade warriors who have condensed their qi and blood. The leader Xing Kui is even a master of the fifth-grade inner strong realm.

Zhong Lin asked Liu Zhao to send Xiao Shitou to declare his status and prevent Xiao Shitou from being bullied. After all, bullying is more blatant in this world with strict class rules.

"Don't worry, sir. I know what to do."

As a member of the guard team who climbed up from the bottom, Liu Zhao had seen all kinds of despicable deeds and naturally understood what Zhong Lin asked him to do.

He watched Xiao Shitou enter the school before turning around and leaving.

"Let's go! Let's go to Danding Garden."

Deng Yunsheng had been waiting in front of Danding Garden for a long time. When he saw Zhong Lin coming, he quickly went to greet him.

"I've met the young master."

"It's troublesome."

"No trouble, no trouble, please."

Led by Deng Yunsheng, the two walked one after the other in Danding Garden, while the guards were waiting outside the garden.

"Sir, there are ninety-two first-grade alchemists, twenty-four second-grade alchemists, and two third-grade alchemists in Danding Garden. Our Baicaotang accounts for eighty percent of the elixirs sold in Dachen."

As they were talking, they came to a square where many apprentices were coming and going, some were drying herbs, some were cutting and cooking them.

Different medicinal materials have different processing methods. Some need to be sliced, some need to be steamed, and some need to be dried in the shade. There is a lot of knowledge involved.

Many medicinal herbs are highly toxic in themselves, but after being sliced and dried in the sun, they can be transformed into detoxifying medicines, so different preparation methods are required.

"Old Deng, I don't know much about elixirs. Apart from knowing some elixirs needed for cultivation, I know very little else. Can you explain to me what elixirs of different levels there are?" Zhong Lin asked curiously.

"You are too polite, sir. There are many kinds of elixirs, and even I am only a part of them. In our Danding Garden, in addition to the blood-tonifying elixir and the bone-strengthening elixir, there are also 18 kinds of first-grade elixirs, such as the detoxification elixir, the bone-strengthening elixir, the wound-healing elixir, the beauty-nourishing elixir, the blood-nourishing elixir, the essence-strengthening elixir, and the foundation-strengthening elixir, each with its own effect."

"For example, the Beauty Pill, as its name suggests, has the effect of maintaining youthful appearance when taken long-term. It's quite popular among some women, and it's quite expensive. It's usually much more expensive than the Blood Replenishing Pill."

"Root Bone Pills are a type of elixir specifically given to children who haven't yet learned martial arts. If a child is too young and their heel bones haven't fully grown, learning martial arts too early will be beneficial rather than harmful. Taking root bone pills daily at this age can improve their natural bone qualities and make their martial arts journey smoother. These are generally prepared for children from aristocratic families and are quite expensive." "Healing Pills are elixirs taken after an injury to alleviate or even directly treat internal injuries. Even if they can't cure them, they can suppress them."

"These three kinds of elixirs are the most expensive among all the first-grade elixirs, and they are also the three main types of elixirs in our Baicaotang."

Zhong Lin exclaimed in his heart when he heard this. It can only be said that no matter which world it is, the money of women, children and patients is the easiest to make.

Deng Yunsheng naturally didn't know what Zhong Lin was thinking, so he continued, "The types of second-grade elixirs are even fewer. There are twelve types in total: Qi and Blood Pills, Five Spirit Pills, Red Blood Pills, Seven Treasures Heart Protecting Pills, Nourishing Yuan Pills, Bigu Pills, Yellow Bud Pills, and Boiling Blood Pills."

"As for third-grade elixirs, there are even fewer. Even the two third-grade alchemists in the garden can only make two types of elixirs: the Great Rejuvenation Pill and the Vessel Protection Pill."

As they were talking, the two of them had already arrived at the alchemy room. As soon as they entered, a scorching air hit them in the face, accompanied by a strong smell of medicine, which made people want to sneeze.

The alchemy room was extremely spacious, and the first thing that caught the eye was a half-human-high bronze alchemy furnace placed in the center.

The alchemy furnace has three legs with animal patterns engraved on them. The top lid is hung on the beam with an iron chain and can be pulled open by pulling the iron chain.

The bottom is heated by burning charcoal, and the bottom of the furnace is smoky due to long-term use.

There was an old man in green sitting next to the alchemy furnace. When he saw Deng Yunsheng, he quickly stood up and saluted.

"Meet Manager Deng."

"Xie Tianyun, why don't you come and meet the Master quickly."

Xie Tianyun was shocked. He had received news yesterday that there was a new young man in Baicaotang, who was the hall master's personal disciple. He didn't expect that it was the young man in front of him.

Xie Tianyun did not dare to neglect it. He brushed the dust off his sleeves, bowed and said, "Xie Tianyun, I pay my respects to you, sir."

"Young Master, Master Xie is a second-grade alchemist. He has been immersed in the production of blood-replenishing and bone-strengthening pills for decades. What do you think of him?" Deng Yunsheng said.

Zhong Lin could smell the strong scent of elixir on Xie Tianyun's body, and could even say that he had been pickled in it. This was something that only someone who had stayed in the alchemy room for a long time could do.

He bowed and said, "Please thank Master Dan for your guidance. Zhong Lin will be very grateful."

"I dare not, it is my honor to be able to enlighten you, young master." Xie Tianyun said in fear and trepidation.

"Then let's get started!"

Zhong Lin had been looking forward to the art of alchemy for a long time. Now that he finally got the chance, of course he wanted to experience it as soon as possible.

Xie Tianyun pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder how much do you know about alchemy?"

"Don't understand at all."

Zhong Lin told the truth.

Xie Tianyun's right hand shook, and two hairs of his beard were pulled out.

"Then I will start from the beginning! Please take a seat, sir."

The two of them sat cross-legged on the cushions beside the alchemy furnace, and Zhong Lin listened attentively.

Xie Tianyun was also very satisfied with Zhong Lin's attitude, and the tension in his heart subsided a little.

"Dan is a single move, a single move, a single move. Only the Dao is inaction, hence the name Dan. Heaven is cleared, earth is peaceful, valleys are full, and people are immortal."

(End of this chapter)